THE GOOD BUSINESS /September 28, 2023 by megan norgate

BRAVE NEW ECO IMPACT REPORT 2023 PART 1

In 2022 we began the process of working towards B-Corp Certification.

Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Unlike other certifications for businesses, B Lab is unique in their ability to measure a company’s entire social and environmental impact.

This is our first annual impact report outlining the areas in which we are creating and measuring our impact as a business. We are currently under review for B-corp certification.

Brave New Eco was established in 2014 with a clear mission to change the way we create homes for a less wasteful, more resourceful outcome. We have used the B-Corp process to reflect and measure what we have achieved in the last 9 years and to set new goals for the future. We are pleased that our values are still as resonant and true as when we first defined them. You can read about our mission and objectives here. We have been quietly doing what we do for over a decade now, and many of our sustainable design practices are so embedded that we sometimes forget that they are there.

The B-impact assessment has been the impetus to set up systems for measuring outcomes, so we can make improvements on our baselines for sustainable design. From this point we can imagine what is possible in the future we are all working towards together.

Before we start here are some fun facts about the last decade:

In 2014 Brave New Eco is registered by our founder Megan Norgate
We have worked on 150 projects since then (some of us need a lie down after writing that!), including 53 residential designs.
We have completed medical, retail, wellness and office fit-outs, and have worked exclusively with purpose-led, community and wellness-focused businesses and organisations.
In 2022 Lead Architect Joanne Natapraira became a co-director, and we registered as an architectural practice. We currently have 7 architectural projects in design or building progress.
We have consulted on the sustainable design resolutions of 85 projects. Using our knowledge of sustainable design, we have helped homeowners to identify the most important factors to be thermally and technologically efficient, to reconfigure and resolve the concept designs for better functionality and passive solar function, and in many cases to reduce the footprint and costs of their build.
In 2023 we created a purpose-fitted-out design studio on Sydney Road. You can read about this whirlwind and fun project in part two of our impact report here.
In 2023 we built an internal system for measuring the outcomes of our projects.

CARBON NEUTRAL OPERATIONS AND CARBON ACCOUNTING

In 2020 Brave New Eco began measuring our greenhouse gas emissions using free online business calculators. At the time, the cost of a full carbon inventory was prohibitive for a business of our size, so we mitigated the limited accuracy of these online tools by purchasing twice as many offsets than our emissions score. We offset 4 tonnes of carbon annually from GreenFleet Australia.

During 2023 we are collecting data for a full carbon inventory with certified B-Corp Green Moves. We are tracking our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. We will be offsetting 100% of emissions recorded and setting new targets for reductions once the calendar year is complete.

COMMUNITY

As part of our B-Corp process, in 2023 we have established policies to support our hardworking team, and to give back to our community. We have allocated funds and or time for each policy. Our do-gooding practices are outlined below.

CIVIC GIVING

Brave New Eco recognises the importance of acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we work. We are committed to "Paying the Rent" as a step towards justice, truth, equality, and liberation for First Nations people.

Since June 2020, Brave New Eco has donated a portion of our design fees from each project to Seed, Australia's first Indigenous youth-led climate network, to support their vision for a just and sustainable future with strong cultures and communities. We fulfil our giving commitment regardless of profit and income.

COMMUNITY BANKING

In February 2023 Brave New Eco switched to banking with certified B-Corp Bank Australia.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

90% of our professional services are local, Australian businesses. When possible we opt to working with B-Corps such as Marnie Hawson, our lovely photographer.

OWNERSHIP and LEADERSHIP

Brave New Eco is a female-led and family-owned practice.

OUR TEAM

In 2023 we established an internal coaching, feedback process and a team satisfaction survey. We support job, cross-skill, and life-skill training to enhance employee skills, knowledge, and personal growth.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

We encourage employees to engage in volunteer activities that positively impact the community and/or environment. Each year we choose a project to volunteer our time to as a group and provide each employee with paid time to participate in volunteering activities.